the best ever.

A couple weeks ago, I sat down to listen to a stream of Wilco playing in Madison. While I listened, Jeff Tweedy took advantage of a break in the music to gently chide Madison, for a lack of official attention on the part of city officials while the band was in town. Tweedy noted that the mayor of Duluth showed up at their show the previous night and presented the band with a key to the city.

The reaction, in my estimation, is the best proclamation that’s ever been written. I though I did a pretty good job when I wrote the proclamation for Mrs. Crappy Weekend a year ago, but I’ve clearly been outdone, by Alderwoman Satya Rhodes-Conway in Madison:

Title: Declaring the band Wilco and its members Jeff Tweedy, John Stirratt, Glenn Kotche, Mikael Jorgensen, Nels Cline, and Pat Sansone, honorary citizens of the great City of Madison, Wisconsin.

Body: WHEREAS, Wilco has visited Madison and played concerts here at least thirteen times since 1995 (including a show at Club DeWash in February of 1995); and,

WHEREAS, Jeff Tweedy says of Madison: ‘We really like it here’; and,

WHEREAS, Wisconsinites generally have a love/hate relationship with all things from Illinois but the sold-out show at the Overture Center on February 21, 2010 (sic) had only love for this band from Chicago; and,

WHEREAS, at least one member of the Common Council attended the show and can attest to its excellence; and,

WHEREAS, The Isthmus called Wilco ‘America’s shiniest rock object’; and,

WHEREAS, Duluth, MN, may be cool, but we would not want it said that either that fine city or its mayor are cooler than Madison and our mayor (even if Mayor Dave is not sure who Jeff Tweedy is); and,

WHEREAS, the City of Madison looks forward to many future visits by Wilco; and,

WHEREAS, It is generally true that late is better than never,

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Common Council and Mayor declare the band Wilco and its members, Jeff Tweedy, John Stirratt, Glenn Kotche, Mikael Jorgensen, Nels Cline, and Pat Sansone, honorary citizens of the great City of Madison, Wisconsin.